This invention relates to a container having a ventable seal which reseals itself after venting through the seal.
In certain container packaging operations, empty containers are first filled with a heated substance and then sealed. Subsequent to sealing of the container, gases may be released from the heated substance which causes pressure to build up in the container. The pressure may build up in the container to the point where the cap or lid which is used to seal the container actually pops off of the container, thereby unsealing the container. This is undesirable in that production is hampered due to the necessity of accommodating the containers which have become unsealed.
Snap-on caps are desirable for many sealing applications in that they may be readily attached to a container during production through a relatively simple pressing-type operation. Flexible, plastic caps have the advantage of being easily removable from the container and resealable on the container by the ultimate user or consumer. However, the phenomena of the container caps popping off of the container during the heating operation is especially troublesome on those containers having snap-on caps. One such container and cap configuration, manufactured by the applicant of the present invention, includes a snap-on cap having a circumferentially extending ridge provided on a downwardly extending skirt thereof. While such a container and cap configuration generally performs very well, when the container and cap are used for holding particular heated substances, the cap is prone to pop off of or become unsealed from the container. Also, the circumferentially extending ridge of the cap significantly limits the rate at which the containers can be sealed with the caps due to the abrupt profile of the ridge.